Mostly Mindful

Bee Party

August 24, 2018. My son’s 44th birthday, but partying with him since he’s working in Minnesota. Nevertheless, the bees had a party out front at dawn and I joined in the merriment. Recent rain has produced another flourish of Datura blooms, and the bees all came, all crazy, all oblivious to my gawking.

Thank you. Datura is a desert plant, but does well in Central Texas. It’s infamous for hallucinogenic properties with humans if ingested, so deemed “poisonous”. Creates a LOT of pollen, and the bees return day after day for more – no ill effects. We’ve never had an animal mess with it. Blooms open at night and fold up, finished, after a few hours of light next day. The blooms come in prolific bursts after rain. Only hallucinogenic effect for me is watching the bees up close – THAT indeed a mystic experience!

Thank you – I love mingling with the bees. Never been stung, perhaps because I’m at ease with them naturally; perhaps because they’re so busy! We do all we can with our bit of property – we plant for the bees and butterflies (no lawn). We proudly display our “Certified Wildlife Habitat” sign.